


bundle of joy

by loonyloopyluna



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Cats, Identity Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-09 23:57:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8918602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonyloopyluna/pseuds/loonyloopyluna
Summary: You don't get to pick your family. Except, sometimes, you do.





	

Saving people, whether from burning buildings, car accidents, or Hawk Moth himself, is the business of being a superhero. Ladybug and Chat Noir knew this, accepted it, welcomed it; and it was after a day of superhero-business-as-usual that they realized their duties extended beyond merely saving _people_. **  
**

While technically, the duo were given their powers to fight and defeat Hawk Moth, that didn’t mean that they didn’t feel obligated to use them in more mundane ways. Sometimes, it was the best part of each of their days when they suited up to rescue a cat from a tree or a child from a burning building. “It makes it all feel more real,” Chat Noir had said once. “Like we’re actual superheroes. And we’re here to help everybody.”

Some days, Ladybug couldn’t help but wonder if they were stepping a little too far out of their place. Days like that one, for instance; a simple bank robbery was technically the police’s job to handle, after all.

But darn it if she didn’t feel smug when she and Chat caught the robbers themselves, delivering them to the police with their hands tied in Ladybug’s yo-yo string. Officer Roger smiled thinly at them and saluted as they sauntered off along the Seine.

“Pound it?” Chat asked, offering his fist to his partner.

Ladybug extended hers to meet it, but he pulled away and she stumbled forward. Turning to reprimand him, she instead saw him standing stock-still, one finger in the air, his cat ears twitching.

“Do you hear that?” he asked.

“No, I–”

And then she did; faintly, but rapidly growing nearer, was the sound of… crying? Chat swiveled his ears, and Ladybug her head, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. It grew fainter again, and then they saw it–-floating down the river, getting further and further away now, was a bag, thrashing and wailing wildly, bobbing along in the water.

The heroes wasted no time in giving chase. Ladybug swung between lights and trees and fences along either side of the riverbank, criss-crossing overhead and leaning down to snatch it at every pass. Chat vaulted through through the air with his baton, keeping up along the sidewalk.

Finally–-whether it was a swell in the current or a particularly low tree or just her very own Ladybug luck–-her fingers wrapped around the bag, hoisting it out of the water with some difficulty. The bag was completely soaked, and the water weighed it down considerably. She landed neatly on the pavement again, and Chat joined her side a second later. They both futilely picked at the knot at the top, but the wet rope was like iron.

Chat summoned his Cataclysm and made quick work of the knot, and the bag fell open, revealing a kitten; a few weeks old at the most, black and gray, with a spot of white by each ear, and absolutely drenched.

“Kitty!” he gasped, bending down and scooping the sodden kitten into his arms. It was shaking like a leaf and he rubbed it briskly, trying to brush off the worst of the water and warm the poor cat up.

“Chat, be careful,” Ladybug said. “It could have… rabies, or something.” But he could tell even she didn’t believe it; her face had softened, and she stretched out a hand for the kitten to sniff, but it shrunk against Chat’s chest. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned in, peering closely at the cat’s face. “We should probably take it to an animal shelter. They’d be able to take care of it.”

“Her,” Chat corrected. “Her name is Nima and she is my daughter and I love her. We’re not going to the shelter.”

“She almost drowned,” Ladybug insisted. “She needs medical attention.”

“Yeah, well, it’s eight o’clock at night,” Chat countered. “The animal shelter closes at seven. Trust me; I have the schedule memorized from all the times I’ve asked my dad to stop by.”

Ladybug sighed. “Okay, fine. No shelter. But you have to promise me you’ll take her to a vet or something tomorrow.”

Chat cleared his throat sheepishly and nuzzled his nose into Nima’s wet fur to avoid Ladybug’s gaze. “Yeah, um… about that…” He mumbled something incoherent.

Ladybug gently took the kitten from his arms and locked eyes with him. “What did you say?”

“I said, um… I’m not going to be allowed to bring her home,” he repeated.

“Well, what do you expect to do with her?” Ladybug asked in exasperation. He looked meaningfully at the cat, who was pressed up against Ladybug for warmth, and the red and black spotted arms that encircled her. “Oh, no. You can’t be serious!”

Chat pouted. “Please? What kind of father would I be if I just let some random stranger take my kitten? I trust you, at least.”

“Okay, first of all,” she said, “this cat is not your actual, literal child.” She sighed. “I guess I can bring her home tonight, but I’ll have take her to the shelter in the morning. Maybe you can convince your dad to adopt her from there?”

Chat’s cat ears wilted, but he nodded. “Yeah. Okay.” He touched his nose to the kitten’s and scratched behind her ears. “Be a good girl, okay, kitty? I’ll come look for you tomorrow–”

“Chat.”

“–see if I can, but I doubt that I could bring you home–”

“ _Chat._ ”

“–honestly, I’ll sneak you in if I have to–”

“Chat Noir!”

He looked up at her, still bent over at the waist. “Yeah?” His ring beeped; he glanced down and saw he was down to two flickering pads. “Oh.”

He straightened up, and she put one hand on his shoulder, shifting her other arm to secure the kitten against her side. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”

* * *

Adrien spent the next day at school daydreaming about how he could sneak away from the Gorilla to look for Nima, but any plans he might’ve had were foiled when Marinette invited him and a few of her other friends over to meet her new kitten.

“I didn’t know you were planning on getting a cat,” Mylene said as they crossed the street.

“I didn’t, either!” Marinette laughed. “My papa really latched onto her, though.”

“Where’d you get her?” Adrien asked.

She bit her lip. “I just found her on the street. I brought her home and my parents said she was only staying for the night, but then when I woke up this morning they decided to keep her.” She unlocked her front door and led the others inside. “Hold on. I’ll go find her.”

She returned a minute later with a small black kitten that Adrien was shocked to recognize. He and his other classmates rushed towards Marinette. Adrien extended his hand, and grinned when the little kitten bumped it with her head.

“She’s so cute!” Rose cooed. “What’s her name?”

“Actually, uh, she doesn’t have one yet,” Marinette replied.

“You are the worst cat mom,” Nino said.

Marinette shrugged. “We’ve just been calling her ‘kitten.’”

“What about Nima?” Adrien offered slyly.

Marinette gave him a strange look. “I guess…?”

“Yes!” Rose agreed. “That’s so cute! Just like you’re so cute, right, Nima?”

“You can hold her if you want,” Marinette offered, depositing the kitten into Rose’s arms. “Be careful not to move her around too much, though. She has a little bit of a wheezing problem.”

“Oh, because she almost drowned,” Adrien said knowingly. Marinette froze.

“Wait, she what?” Nino asked.

Adrien tried to backpedal. “I just meant that, um–-well, it was raining yesterday, right? She’s little enough that she could drown in a puddle or something.”

“Well, yeah,” Marinette said slowly. “But she’s fine, now.”

Adrien busied himself with petting the kitten, and they passed her around like a very cuddly, affectionate game of hot potato. The others began to leave, and before he realized it, only he, Marinette, and Nino remained. And then Nino left.

Adrien looked up from where he had been lying on the floor. “I suppose I should go, too.”

“You don’t have to!” she protested, but he shook his head.

“Thanks, but I’m usually supposed to go right home after school,” he said, pushing himself onto his knees.

“Oh,” said Marinette, looking crestfallen. “L-let me walk you out.”

“Do you think… could I come back and see her tomorrow, maybe?” Adrien asked hopefully, when they got to the door.

“Of course!” Marinette smiled. “If you want, I mean.”

Adrien nodded. He had one hand on the doorknob, but he didn’t seem to be inclined to turn it. The silence between them grew awkward the longer it drew on; he was trying to figure out how to phrase his last question, and it was important that he say it right.

“And, um–”

“Listen–”

The two of them began speaking at the same time, then stopped, laughing awkwardly as they realized the other was talking. Marinette gestured silently for him to go first.

“Listen,” he started over, “I know you didn’t just find her.”

“What do you mean?” she asked nervously.

Adrien put a hand on her shoulder. “Marinette. Come on. You didn’t, did you?”

“…No.” She was looking determinedly at the floor now.

“I knew it!” He smiled. “For the record, I’m glad it was you.”

Her eyes darted upwards to meet his. “Really? I, uh, I’m glad it’s you, too.”

“Wait, what?” Adrien’s smile vanished. “What are you talking about?”

“What are _you_ talking about?” she asked.

“Ladybug…”

“Oh, god. Yeah,” she groaned, dragging her hands down her face.

“…Giving you the cat?” he finished.

“Oh. Yes. That,” she said. “Is definitely. Um. Yeah, that’s what I was talking about, too!”

Adrien squinted at her. “Anyway, I promise not to tell anyone. I’m sure she had her reasons.”

“Yep, that’s Ladybug!” Marinette chuckled nervously. “Always doing stuff for a ruse goo-–I mean, a good reason!”

“Marinette, are you sure you’re–” Adrien asked, before being rudely interrupted by a door to the side of his head.

Marinette’s father stood on the other side of the threshold. “Oh god, I’m sorry,” he said. “Are you okay?”

Adrien touched his ear gingerly. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He smiled at Marinette and her father. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yep!” Marinette said. “Tomorrow.” Then, she smirked. “After all, what kind of father would you be if you trusted some random people with your kitten?”

Tom looked at her curiously. As Adrien headed down the stairs, he heard Marinette say, “Don’t worry, papa, it was just a joke. He gets it.”

Adrien was pleased as he got in the car. To be honest, it had been a stupid idea to think that he could ever convince his father to let them have a cat, and if he was going to trust anyone with what he couldn’t help but still think of as _his_ cat, he was glad it was Marinette’s family.

Then, he did a mental double-take. Had he called Nima his child today? He'd tried to make an effort not to seem like he’d had any prior connection to her. But somehow Marinette had still known…

Wait.

**Author's Note:**

> [it's on tumblr, too! ](http://chatchevalier.tumblr.com/post/148950463371/day-1-familyreveal)


End file.
